Love stories appeal to our subconscious and trigger delightful fantasies of unblemished romance. The film’s specific focus on love is what makes Along Came Wanda such a spectacular watch, especially for romantics. Written and directed by Jan Miller Corran, the movie is a wonderful depiction of the joys and struggles that come with romantic love, loss, and the search for one’s self.
In this comedy-drama, the talented Constance Brenneman plays the role of Mary Beth Higgins, a middle-aged woman on the verge of a divorce from her husband of twenty years, right in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic. Mary Beth’s marriage has lost passion and she feels stuck and frustrated. Seeking an escape from the stress of her impending divorce and the pressure of the quarantine, Mary Beth agrees to go on a road trip proposed by her new friend Wanda (Cathy DeBuono).
However, what starts out as a getaway trip quickly turns into a journey of self-discovery filled with novel experiences that greatly alter both Mary Beth’s and Wanda’s perspectives on life. Meditation, camping, horse-riding and a profound encounter with a world-renown psychic realign her perception of life and awaken passion and vigor within her, that she had lost for a long time. She feels safe enough to open her heart and experience love and life again.
Blending themes of love, family, separation, discovery, acceptance and healing, Jan Miller is able to take us on a journey full of the thrilling twists and turns that life is made of. She deftly employs comic relief and narration to spice things up and the superb editing gives the film a pristine and ultra-modern look.
Along Came Wanda is definitely a film, that anyone who feels lost or is in search of purpose, should watch to draw inspiration from.
